One Gong to many and one Bim Bam too few.

[Carl Bergquist]

Here are the videos of my Neuchatel in action that this board has been helping me with. What I think it is trying to do is-- strike the hour with the lower hammer with the upper hammer being blocked--- then unblock the upper hammer and Bim Bam the quarter with the two hammers. What it is doing is blocking the upper hammer too long which makes the strike one too many (6 at 5) and then one too few Bim Bams so the quarters are always off.

and

 

[JimmyOz]

I have not worked on that type of movement, however have worked on a few W&H 1/4 strike movements, therefore others may know better how to set this one up, that said here is my take on what is happening.

I think someone has messed with the levers.

What I can gather from your video is that the top lever (the one that drops onto the cam with 4 sections cut out) is dropping to far as you should only have 1 x bim-bam at the 1/4 past the hour, however the rack teeth are dropping to 5 places, the 1/2 hour it is dropping 6 places and should only be dropping 2 the 3rd quarter is 7 places and should only be dropping 3 teeth on the rack.

Test the lever to see if it is easy to move as I think someone has moved it up (closed the V).

First thing is to adjust the cam so that the lever pin hits the middle not the far right as you have it now.

Then if you turn to the 1/4 past the hour and open the lever so that when it drops it only lets '1' rack tooth fall, if I am correct the rest should now drop 2, and 3 rack teeth as you continue to move the minute hand around the face.
On the hour it does not bim-bam, however the lever that controls this is cut off at the bottom of your video, therefore put up another video where we can see the whole of the movement in action.

 

[shutterbug]

I suspect the same. It should probably do one bim-bam at the quarter, two at the half, three at the 3/4, and possibly four at the hour before the strike sounds, or possibly nothing but the strikes at the hour.

 

[Carl Bergquist]

First, a little history. When this came to me (thirty years ago) it was all there except some "Stop" pins were gone. What I forgot about in my description was that there is supposed to be a "pause" in the striking. After it strikes the correct hour both hammers are supposed to be blocked for a "pause" before the quarters begin. As it is shown the upper hammer is being blocked but the lower hammer is missing the pin on the vertical blocker thus striking the extra count. The picture shows the two blocking mechanisms. There would be no purpose for the lower hammer to be blocked if there was not supposed to be a pause between hours and quarters.
This might be an easy fix by adjusting the pin on the backside of the vertical hammer blocker. (I don't know if that thing has a name) But that still leaves the problem with the quarters.
After watching the video again and again I think the lower hammer is aligned with the pin but not falling far enough to be blocked. What do you guys think about just trying to rotate the silver part clockwise a bit. That will not change the movement of the hammer but will block it for that one count?

 

[Carl Bergquist]

My last idea does not work. With the lower hammer blocker any lower it does not allow the vertical piece to move to the right and all blocking stops and other bad stuff.

 

[JimmyOz]

Are you sure you have the hammer blockers the right way round, try swaping them.
The motion works are set for 3:00 and looking at the video I think your clock gives the hour on every 1/4, then the bim-bam's.

 

[Carl Bergquist]

You are right. The sequence should be-- count the hour on the lower hammer--pause (both hammers blocked)--bim bam the quarter. I am fairly certain the blockers are correct, but it is easy to reverse them so I will give it a try. Thanks.